Takoma Park observes changing of the guard in Ward 6

Councilman Doug Barry honored for his work in diverse community, while his replacement lists her priorities

The Takoma Park City Council bid farewell to Doug Barry and named his temporary replacement to the Ward 6 seat during the regular council meeting Monday night.

Donna Victoria, a longtime ward activist and political pollster, was chosen by the council to replace Barry until the regular city elections in November. Victoria, who has lived in Ward 6 and been involved in local activism for more than 10 years, was elected over fellow candidate, Barrie Lee Howard, a two-year resident and relative newcomer to city politics. The council cited Victoria's experience as a major factor.

"We were very gratified that someone as qualified and as steeped in the issues of the day and of the various issues in the ward came forward in the person of Donna Victoria," Mayor Bruce Williams said.

According to Section 308 of the City Charter, because Barry is resigning within 240 days of the next city election, the council is tasked with appointing a temporary replacement instead of holding a special election.

Victoria will be sworn in as Barry's replacement July 6 following the council's trip to Ocean City next week to participate in the Maryland Municipal League's legislative convention that will run from Sunday through July 1. She identified the Crossroads redevelopment project and the school boundary study involving four schools in Takoma Park and East Silver Spring as major issues for her the ward. Victoria also named her own short-term project.

"I want to be known as the bat lady' by the time I leave [the council]," she said, explaining that she had recently purchased four bat houses designed to attract bats and in turn alleviate a growing mosquito problem many of her neighbors have complained about.

Meanwhile, the council was equally kind in its farewell remarks to Barry, who moved to Washington, D.C., May 28. Councilman Terry Seamens (Ward 2) extolled Barry's involvement in Ward 6, historically the city's most diverse area in both ethnicity and income levels, and also the city's most active crime district.

"I see your fingerprints all over the ward, a lot of changes have taken place because of your leadership, and I thank you for sharing that experience with us," Seamens said.

A number of Barry's constituents and family members were also on hand during the farewell, including the councilman's 10-year-old daughter, Alana Barry.

"I just think dad is a great dad and he did a lot to help everybody in the city. So thank you, dad," she said.

Barry thanked the council and the city for the last six years and praised the aspects of Takoma Park that he would remember most fondly.

"It was just a sense of comfort that one has living in a neighborhood where they're surrounded by people they care about," Barry said. "When you see the children running on the street, when you see the pets, the dogs the cats you know by name … it's a sense of place and it's a great comfort."